What IS Librariphilia?

At my high school, the library was really just an enormous, quiet computer playhouse, where students would battle each other in one of a wide array of first-person shooter games.  Books would remain untouched.

When I came to Rice University, I thought the library situation would be different. But I still frequently find that I am the only one to check out many worthwhile books, DVDs, and CDs.  When I walk through Fondren’s stacks, most people are hunched over dimly lit desks, poring over textbooks—not eagerly shuffling through the copious shelves of materials nearby.

With the advent of the Internet and new hi-technologies, there seems to be an increasingly enormous vacuum in society which needs to be filled by “Librariphiles,” that segment of the population which enjoys using physical—rather than digital--resources; there is just something irreplaceable about the fresh,-out-of-the plastic scent of the 2011 edition of The Best American Poetry.

Since most libraries are not run for profit, they don’t have to advertise. But if someone were to make a list of interesting items found at a certain library, people would be less likely to shell out dough at Barnes and Noble when they can acquire the same materials free of charge at their local library.

Ideally, I hope my blog reaches out to those who remain unaware of the library’s treasures, but I would also like to appeal to lovers of art, literature, comics, music, and film everywhere.